


Twenty-Six Ways

by Elanshaw



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:13:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 6,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24702103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elanshaw/pseuds/Elanshaw
Summary: Twenty-six ways Lt. Col. John Sheppard is great.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28





	1. A=Ants

**Author's Note:**

> This is my homage to Lt. Col. John Sheppard and the essence that makes him so great.

Rodney slowly opened his eyes, his body throbbing in pain along to the pounding in his head, a blurry figure stood nearby. He tried to focus on it, but succumbed to the darkness that beckoned him.

Hours later his eyes fluttered open as he felt someone touch his arm. Colonel Sheppard's face came into focus.

"Sheppard?" groaned Rodney.

He felt his arm being moved and blinked groggily as John stared at him with heavy eyes.

John was rubbing something gently onto his arm.

"It's to help with the bites."

"Wha..?"

"Watch where you're walking next time, Rodney…only you could fall into an alien crevice filled with freakin' mutant death ants…y'almost died you idiot…"

"S...sorry..."

"Shut up, McKay...go...go back to sleep..."

Rodney noticed the worry etched across John's face, then slowly closed his eyes.


	2. B=Barrier

The Wraith had caught them unaware, the culling swift and brutal. Sheppard and the team had gone to the planet to trade but within the hour were separated, scrambling to save as many villagers as they could.

Night fall brought what was left of the population out of hiding, crying out for their missing loved ones and with them, the worry of the SGA-1 team that Sheppard wasn't answering their calls.

"If he got captured by the Wraith, I'm going to kill him." muttered Rodney.

"Check again!" growled Ronon motioning at the LSD in Rodney's hand.

"I told you there's no..." Rodney glanced at the screen.

"Rodney?" asked Teyla.

"There…there...up ahead!" Rodney rushed forward followed by Ronon then Teyla who tried Sheppard once again on the comm to no avail.

They didn't see him at first, but then Teyla noticed a boot sticking out from the rubble of a demolished home.

"John!" she cried out.

Within minutes the team had moved the rocks and debris from over their leader and stood in silent fear at his still body.

"No..." whispered Rodney.

Then suddenly, John twitched and moaned bringing the team back to life. They slowly started to turn him over onto his back when they heard a whimper then a shrill cry…

"What the..?" started Ronon.

Teyla turned to the pile of what they thought were rags beneath John, she slowly peeled back what was a dust coated blanket and drew back in shock when a baby appeared, dirty but with no apparent injury. The baby blinked at Teyla then cried out again.

"S-save…" whispered John.

The team turned to Sheppard in shock...he had used his body as a barrier to protect the child.

"S-save…gotta save the baby..."

Teyla slowly lifted the baby up and cradled it in her arms as Rodney called Atlantis for a med team.

"You did it John...you saved the baby" she smiled. "Hold on…help is on its way."


	3. C=Calm in the Storm

Elizabeth could feel Kolya's hot breath on her neck and could hear the thrum of the energy of the wormhole behind her.

This was it… if she was taken through the gate she knew in her heart she'd never see Atlantis or her friends again.

But then John was there, appearing in an instant between her fear and resignation.

He must have shouted out to Kolya, but Elizabeth didn't hear. She just felt the sudden deadly tension in the air, then she looked in John's eyes.

He was watching Kolya was such fury, then he looked at her and suddenly… Elizabeth felt calm. It was like John turned a switch off and the violence in his eyes turned to a comforting –

_ Don't worry Elizabeth, I'll take care of you _ .

Elizabeth's breathing slowed as she gazed in John's eyes and she barely flinched when the bullet left John's gun hitting Kolya and sending him through the gate leaving her unharmed.

An instant later John had lowered his gun and was by her side. He was saying something to her, but she didn't respond…for the moment she just kept looking in his eyes holding onto a feeling that both scared and exhilarated her.


	4. D=Deadly

Lorne's team along with Teyla and Rodney rushed to the lower room in the bunker. If their intel was correct that was where John and Ronon were being held captive.

_ Sixteen days. _

The team heard the screams as they approached the door and broke through, guns raised ready to save their friends.

A sudden silence filled the room as they all stood stock still in shock at what they saw.

Three barely recognizable bodies in robes lay on the ground, the walls around them soaked in blood. It looked a tornado had laid waste...and in the middle of the room stood Sheppard. Like a morbid statue, coated in blood; eyes wide, unseeing, dangerous, small tremors rushing through his body, a bloody knife clenched in his hand.

Teyla and Rodney hesitantly stepped forward, worry and disbelief on their faces.

"Colonel?" whispered Teyla reaching out to him.

"W-wait...don't touch him..." came a raspy voice from a darkened corner of the room.

Guns turned as one to the corner where Ronon, covered in blood sat on the floor a heavy chain holding him against the wall.

"Don't…touch him...not yet..."

Teyla and Rodney rushed over to Ronon.

"Are you okay?" asked Teyla. She glanced back at John. "We came as fast as we could."

Ronon gazed at her and Rodney with haunted eyes.

"N-never seen anything like it." he whispered. "They thought they broke him, that he was going to tell...b...but...he grabbed the knife...and…and…"

Ronon at a loss for words turned to stare at John.


	5. E=Energetic

"Come on McKay, two more laps then we're done!"

John jogged in place waiting for Rodney to catch up.

Breathing heavily Rodney finally emerged from around the corner.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" he gasped, clutching his chest.

"Don't be dramatic, Rodney! You’re out of shape. You need some cardio..."

"I _need_ to sit down and I am _not_ out of shape! I'm in a perfectly good Rodney- shaped shape!"

John rolled his eyes and smirked, then turned and ran ahead.

"Once we're done here, next up is one hundred push-ups and crunches.

"What?!" shouted Rodney still out of breath.

"Sheppard!"


	6. F=Flirtatious

The team was seated at the head feasting table of the village that they had saved from the Genii attack.

The leader of the village thanked them and told them to enjoy the bounty of food they helped save from the Genii's destruction.

The food did look good…as did the leader's daughter Shalia, a curvaceous young woman with bright blue eyes and long auburn hair.

Ronon glanced over at her then chuckled and nudged Sheppard who was sitting beside him when he saw that she had been staring at John.

"Looks like you have an admirer." he smiled.

John looked up from his food. "What?"

He glanced over to where Ronon was looking then looked away quickly feeling a warmth spread across his face.

Ronon laughed quietly, “You're blushing!"

"Shut-up Ronon..." whispered back John, but couldn't help but smirk.

Later after the feast, John made his way over to Shalia, who was sitting by herself trying not to give obvious admiring glances at John who looking around, slowly walked over and sat down next to her.

Soon she was giggling like a school girl and John was batting his long eyelashes at her...and Rodney standing in a corner with Ronon and Teyla tried not to puke.

"Captain Kirk's at it again..." he said sarcastically.


	7. G=Generous

"John, I cannot ask you to do that." sighed Teyla

"You're not asking...I'm offering." said John.

A water pipe had burst and Teyla's quarters had been flooded. It would take a few days before she could get back in there so for now she and Torren had no place to stay.

"You and Torren can take my bed. I'll get housekeeping to bring me up a cot."

"I have slept on those cots, John. They are quite uncomfortable."

"Better me on the cot, than you and Torren."

oooooo

Later that night, warm and comfortable in John's bed with Torren nestled quietly next to her, Teyla whispered in the darkened room...

"John?"

"Yeah, Teyla." came a tired reply from the cot.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

****


	8. H=Heavy

"Dammit Sheppard, how much do you weigh!?" hissed Rodney trying to keep a hold of John as they ran for the Gate.

He had his arm around John's waist and John's arm was around his shoulders. The side of John's head was bleeding and his right leg was bent at on odd angle, his pants matted in blood.

It would have been comical their three-legged race if not for the roar of the thing chasing after them at what sounded like break-neck speed.

"S'where's my gun." slurred John.

Rodney glanced at John worried at the slurring, but he kept on struggling towards the Gate tightening the grip on his friend.

“It's at the bottom of the cliff where you landed when that _thing_ that's chasing us slammed into you! Lucky my shooting scared it off a bit..."

"L...last time I 'company you on a p-plant f'ndin’ mission, M'Kay."

"Hey, those plants are..!"

The roar behind them grew louder.

"Never mind, just...shut up Sheppard…we're almost there!" said Rodney, winded.

A minute later they came upon the Gate and with John leaning heavily against him, Rodney quickly dialed, practically screaming into his comm as he entered his IDC that they were coming through _NOW_ and that as soon as they were through to raise the shield.

Grabbing onto John, Rodney glanced behind him in time to see the trees part, then teeth and claws and the thing that would haunt his dreams for the next few years burst into the clearing.

Rodney practically threw himself and John through the gate.

Moments later they both collapsed in a heap in the gate room on Atlantis.

Rodney heard the whine of the shield coming into place and a second later the loud thump of something smashing into it. Flinching, he lay on the ground and tried to catch his breath. He heard more than saw the med team crowding around him and Sheppard.

Then he heard Sheppard cry out in pain, then say - 

"N-no…check Ro'ny first…check…Rodn'y you okay?"

Rodney raised his head slightly and stared mouth opened in disbelief at his bloodied and broken friend.

"Am _I_ okay? Well first off, I..." he heard Sheppard cry out again.

“I'm fine Sheppard! Now let them help you!" shouted Rodney with a mixture of worry, fatigue and annoyance.

Rodney lowered his head and closed his eyes as he tried to figure out how that man's brain worked.

He'd wait until Sheppard was feeling better before he'd complain about how Mr. Weighs-a-Ton had surely ruined his back for good.

****


	9. I=Ingenious

"It's killing you, isn't it!" laughed John throwing some popcorn into his mouth.

The movie just started, Rambo again, and John, Rodney and Teyla sat comfortably on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on the table in front of them.

Ronon was stretched out on the floor, a large plush cushion by his head.

"What you did was a fluke." muttered Rodney, frowning.

"Ha! You spent forty minutes trying to fix the tv, McKay...I fixed it with a clothes pin and rubber band in 30 seconds flat." chuckled John. "Who's the genius now?"

Rodney grabbed some popcorn and pointed at himself. "Science.” then he pointed at John, "Luck of the draw parlor tricks."

Teyla laughed, "Shh, the movie…"

"Yeah!" growled Ronon, "Quiet, McKay…don't make me come over there."

"What!? What about Sheppard!?"

Ronon turned and glared at him. He was serious about his Rambo.

"Okay...shutting up now." whispered McKay.

John patted him on the shoulder smiling and they sat back to watch the movie.


	10. J=Jealous

"You okay, Teyla?” asked John.

She had been moody all day. He found her later that evening in her quarters sitting quietly.

"Yes, John, I am fine. Just thinking about my father, today is the anniversary of his death.

"I'm sorry Teyla...would you rather be alone?"

"No, John, come in …please…sit."

John sat next to her on her bed and Teyla spent the next half hour talking about her father and how he taught her so much. She remembered how he would tell her how proud he was of her and how he would talk to others about what a strong warrior and leader he was sure she would become.

By the time she finished there were tears in her eyes, but Teyla smiled and thanked John, grateful for the opportunity to share the good memories she had about her father.

John nodded solemnly and patted her gently on the leg. He wished her a good night and left for his quarters, trying to quell the sudden feeling of jealousy he felt over the relationship Teyla and her father had.

A relationship he would have given anything to have with his own father.

****

****


	11. K=Keen

John grinned, rubbing his hands together as he stared eagerly at the Stargate. He turned and looked up at the control room.

"How much longer, McKay?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and glanced at his watch.

"Ten minutes, Sheppard. Geez, you're like a kid in a candy shop."

They were expecting a shipment of new hand held weapons from Earth and John wanted to be the first to see them.

John spun back to the gate when it suddenly lit up.

"Incoming IDC from Earth." said Chuck. "Looks like they're early."

Rodney glanced at John and could swear he did a little jump for joy.


	12. L=Loyal

Teyla, Rodney and Ronon had been hurt badly after the bombing. Unconscious, they had been taken by some of the scared but brave locals to the colony's doctor.

John was with them; bruised, bloodied but alert.

“You should not go!” said Korvis, the elderly doctor as he bandaged John's wounds. “You are hurt."

John looked at his teammates lying deathly still on the cots in the room.

“I have to, my comm's down. I have to get back to the gate...contact my people. If…if they wake up when I'm gone, tell them I'll be back."

oooooo

The rebels found him before he could reach the gate. What followed was twelve hours of torture interspersed by the same shouted questions over and over and…

_ Where are the rest of your people!? They knew he wasn't alone. _

_ Are you planning an attack? _

_ What type of weapons do you have? _

_ WHERE ARE THE REST OF YOUR PEOPLE!? _

John kept his mouth shut except for:

_ Name _

_ Rank _

_ Serial number _

oooooo

Lorne's team found John lying face down in the cellar of one of the bombed out buildings beaten half to death, the rebels had left him for dead.

"Sir…Colonel Sheppard." whispered Lorne, fear etched across his face at the state of his commander. He felt for a pulse and sighed heavily when John groaned and slowly opened his one good eye.

"No...I won't..."

"Colonel?"

It took a while, but John slowly focused on Lorne's face.

"L-Lorne?"

"Yes, sir, it's okay we got you. We're going to get you back to Atlantis."

"I...I didn't tell them…I didn't tell them where they were..."

"They...your team? It's okay sir, we found them, they're going to be okay. We're going to find the people who did this to you, Colonel."

"I didn't tell them…" whispered John slowly closing his eye and taking a deep breath.

Lorne frowned and softly patted John on the back.

"No you didn't, sir. You kept your team safe." ****


	13. M=Mean

****

"What the hell do you think you were doing, soldier!" shouted John inches away from the young man's face.

"S-sir I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking…I'm new..."

John squinted, and the soldier gulped heavily. He'd heard about Lt. Col Sheppard. He thought it was going to be easy going, after hearing how laid back the military leader was; but staring into the angry darkness of the man's eyes he figured he must have gotten it wrong.

"You're new? You're _new!?"_

John jabbed his finger against the soldier's chest.

“You almost got two of your teammates killed because you chose not to check that room! You _chose_ not to…!"

"I'm sorry sir!" the young soldier looked down at his feet rather than at the vicious stare of his leader.

John glared at the soldier. "Pack up your gear, soldier. You're going back to Earth."

The soldier's eyes shot up, "No sir, please...give me another chance!"

"Another chance?" hissed John, "Would you be saying that if your teammates had died!?"

He scowled in anger and annoyance at the lazy man then turned and stormed off.

"Get your gear...you're done!" he growled.

oooooo

Ronon watched this unfold from the balcony above the open area where Sheppard had it out with the soldier. He nodded to himself, thinking that sometimes one had to be mean to keep those around you safe.


	14. N=Nerd

“Mensa! You qualified for Mensa!?"

"It's no big deal, McKay." sighed John as he moved his pawn across the chess board.

Rodney gazed down at the board then up again at John.

"What's your I.Q?" asked Rodney feeling quite riled up at the moment.

"McKay, it's your move." said John, not looking up from the board.

"Cause mine’s pretty high...pretty darn high I must say."

"Uh huh..." John looked up at Rodney and smirked. "Mine's probably higher."

Annoyance flickered across Rodney's face and he huffed as moved his piece.

"I could have joined Mensa." the scientist muttered. "Never felt the need... I _know_ I'm smart."

"Check mate." smiled John looking up from the board after his next move.

He chuckled at Rodney's shocked expression.

"Want to go again?" he grinned.

****

****


	15. O=Observant

"I'm telling you, something's wrong with him." said John as he Teyla and Rodney walked from a meeting with Woolsey.

"How can you tell?" asked Rodney.

"Well, when Woolsey called him for the meeting, Ronon just growled at him then hung up."

"Like I said...how can you tell?

John rolled his eyes.

"I have noticed that he has been more absent lately, but he has said nothing to me." said Teyla.

"You guys go ahead, I'm going to go talk to him." John said.

"You don't know where he is." stated Rodney.

"Oh, I think I have an idea." smiled John.

oooooo

Ronon seemed distracted as he practiced with the Bantos rods. John watched him from the doorway for a moment then stepped forward.

"Hey, Chewie..."

Ronon spun and almost whacked John across the head with one of the rods.

"Whoa!" said John taking a step back.

Ronon just grunted at him.

“What's going on, buddy?”

"Nothing." muttered Ronon, putting the rods down preparing to pack up and leave the room.

John squinted and tilted his head staring at his friend for a moment, then nodded smiling to himself.

“Hey, just wanted to let you know that we're running low on living quarters so you're going to have to bunk with McKay from now on."

Ronon spun towards him, _"What!?"_ he shouted, then immediately shut his mouth and grabbed the left side of jaw letting out a moan.

"Ha! I knew it. A toothache? That's why you've been acting all grizzly like? Buddy, we _have_ a dentist on staff!"

Ronon grunted, "…used to just use some pliers and a bottle of ale." he muttered through clenched teeth.

John's eyebrows rose at that image, then he shook his head and patted Ronon on the back. "Come on pal, let's get this cleared up."

As they left the room, John chuckled, "Bunking with McKay…sorry I had to scare you like that."

Ronon just rolled his eyes and swatted John across the head.


	16. P=Protected

John had not left his quarters since being released from the infirmary two weeks earlier.

They didn't know what had happened to him on the planet, he hadn't spoken a word since they found him – he had been missing for months.

In the infirmary, the only sounds he ever made were the terrifying screams that leapt from his throat on a nightly basis.

Other than that, John was completely silent, his eyes wide and full of a terror only he could see.

Carson did all he could and then finally John's team said they would do the rest.

Night after night they camped out in John's room, trying to coax him back from the brink of madness; but he would just stare through them, lost in his own hell.

oooooo

Ronon's eyes flew open in the darkened room at the sound of John's scream followed by a loud thump, he quickly sat up from his makeshift bed on the floor.

"Teyla?" he asked softly.

Lately loud noises had been startling John so he tried to remain as quiet as possible.

"I am up." she said in the darkness. A moment passed. "The lights will not turn on."

"Hold on." they heard Rodney say, sleep still in his voice.

Seconds later, the light from Rodney's tablet cast a faint glow in the room. He turned the tablet towards John's bed and murmurs of worry ran through the team when they found the bed empty.

"John?" whispered Teyla.

She moved over to the door, hoping that the light from the corridor would brighten the room, but the door wouldn't open.

"Sheppard…where are you?" murmured Rodney using the tablet as a sort of beacon.

The light came upon John standing in a corner of the room, his back to them hands pressed against the wall.

"Please…let me out...please…" he cried softly.

"Don't leave it in here with me…I can't…I…not again...no…" he pushed weakly against the wall.

Trapped in his own mind he had made his quarters another prison by unknowingly locking the door and cutting the lights.

"John." said Teyla, happy to hear him speak but saddened all together.

At the sound of her voice, John spun like a frightened animal and slid to the ground knees up hiding his face in his arms.

"No…don't….don't let it ...so tired...can't…fight…it's coming…it's coming!" he shouted.

His team, so moved by the fear in John's voice couldn't help but look around them in the semi-darkness, the depth of John's emotions making them actually _feel_ like something was in the room with them.

Ronon grunted in anger wishing he knew who had done this to his friend so he could rip through them until there was nothing left.

He stepped forward and knelt in front of John.

“We'll protect you, Sheppard. We won't let it get you…we won't let it come near you."

Ronon sensed as Teyla and Rodney knelt next to him. Rodney placed his tablet nearby so that the faint light washed over the team.

"Yes," Teyla asserted. "You are free John. It will never hurt you again. We are here."

Rodney coughed slightly, overwhelmed by emotion.

"Sheppard…we've got it covered. Come back to us. I...we need you..." he finally said staring at his friend with heavy eyes.

Ronon drew his weapon and slowly turned and sat down close to John but facing away from him, Teyla and Rodney followed suit.

The three of them formed a semi-circle around John, like a shield ready to protect him from the demons that haunted him.

A few minutes passed when John slowly raised his head to find himself cocooned, shielded by the people who sat in front of him.

The people...he knew them…he…

The team heard a small gasp behind them, shortly followed by a deep sigh; a sigh that sounded like someone slowly being released from the horrors of their nightmares.

They heard John inch forward and felt him hesitantly touch each of them.

Moments later, relaxed against the wall, John was asleep; then the lights in the room flickered on and the door swished open.

The team looked at each other and smiled.

This was a start.


	17. Q=Quick

"I get it, move on!"

"You _get_ it?" asked the Daedalus scientist, staring incredulously at John.

"I just cited a mathematical equation regarding quantum physics in relation to the Pegasus galaxy and you _get_ it? Maybe I should discuss this with Dr. McKay."

"Yeah, well McKay isn't available right now and we're running out of time, so…"

The scientist's eyes flicked to Ronon and Teyla who stared back at him like _he_ was the crazy one, not the flyboy who couldn't possible fathom the intricate…

John huffed, his eyes flashing in annoyance. Taking a breath he repeated the equation back to the man in easier understandable terms correcting a mistake that the man had made along the way.

The scientist could only stare, mouth ajar at the weapon clad leader

"How in the..?"

“Like I said..." John growled, pushing the scientist towards the console, angry at him for wasting time.

“...move on!"


	18. R=Reckless

"Sheppard, wait! Lorne's team will be here soon with equipment!"

John looked down over the steep embankment.

"It's Teyla down there, Rodney!" he shouted.

They had been taking a five minute break, their gear packs off as they rested.

The rock slide was sudden, John had turned catching Teyla's look of horror as she was pushed over the edge of the embankment without even having time to scream.

Their gear packs had gone over with her.

They shouted her name to no avail as they rushed looking for a way down to help her.

That's when Ronon had come across a long piece of dirty frayed rope almost covered by some of the smaller rocks.

"It must have come from somewhere up there!" shouted Ronon, pointing up the hill from where the rock slide began.

John glanced wildly at the rope.

"It'll have to do...I'm going to get her!" he exclaimed.

A beat and then Ronon nodded, "I'll brace the rope."

"What!?" shouted Rodney,

"Sheppard, the rope looks ancient, it won't hold your weight!"

"I gotta try, McKay...it's Teyla!"

He looked at Rodney for a sort of approval as he tied the rope into a makeshift harness and tied it around his waist.

Gulping, Rodney nodded quickly and helped Ronon to brace the rope.

"Get her back, Sheppard." growled Ronon.

John glanced at Rodney and Ronon, then pushed himself off the embankment in an almost reckless abandon, the quicker to get down to save his friend.

The rope held.

****


	19. S=Sincere

John found Ronon in the mess hall eating his lunch.

"Hey buddy," he said sitting across from him.

"Sheppard."

"I heard you were thinking of leaving Atlantis."

Ronon swallowed the sandwich he was chewing. "Yeah, all of this…" he glanced around the room.

"...has been great…but I thought I was alone all this time, now to find out others survived? I feel that I should be with my people."

John rubbed the back of his neck and sighed then looked Ronon directly in the eyes.

"We _are_ your people, Ronon. This is your home. I don't know if I'm being selfish or not, but buddy…I don't want you to go."

John stood. “I just wanted you to know that.”

He nodded at Ronon. "I'll leave you to your lunch."

He gave a quick smile then turned and walked off leaving Ronon with a lot to think about.

****


	20. T=Trying

"Colonel Sheppard, I'll have ta chain you to the bed if you try to get up again!"

"I'm fine, Carson!" groaned John even as the pain rippled through his body.

"Ah, your fine?" argued Carson, hands raised in disbelief.

"You have a concussion, a broken collarbone and a fractured left arm!"

"And I can recuperate in my own bed!"

“Gah!” Carson grunted, turning from the bed swearing he was off to get the restraints just as Ronon, Teyla and Rodney appeared.

"Good, you're here! Put some sense into that man's head!" he muttered nodding towards John who was still attempting to get out of bed, his attempt feeble at best.

Carson stormed into his office slamming the door behind him.

The team could hear him pacing and muttering to himself in there, they looked over at John.

"I think you broke Carson." smiled Rodney.

"Help me up guys." pleaded John.

"Why, where you going?" asked Ronon, making his way over to the bed and gently, but firmly pushing John down until his head hit the pillow.

"Traitor." sneered John, his eyes already starting to close with fatigue.

"Go to sleep, Sheppard." ordered Ronon. "We'll be here when you wake up."

The team made themselves comfortable as John closed his eyes and was soon sound asleep.


	21. U=Undaunted

There was no reason that John should have ever found him.

The expanse of wilderness was too great; the volcano had already erupted and Rodney was trapped.

Suddenly, a hand appeared above him and over the roar of the wind and the encroaching heat Rodney heard John shout.

"McKay, grab my hand!"

Pulled from the hole, Rodney's emotions bubbled over and he collapsed against John, tears flowing from his face.

"You found me! I...I can't believe you found me!"

"Okay, it's okay Rodney!"

John patted his back, but quickly pulled him away.

"We have to hurry, come on!" John shouted.

There was no reason that John should have ever found him, but he did and Rodney would be forever grateful.

****


	22. V=Voter

"I say we vote on it, seeing my _own_ team won't take a direct order." muttered John.

The others nodded.

John glanced at Ronon and smiled.

"I vote for Ronon."

"What!?" huffed Ronon.

Rodney laughed and then Ronon turned to him, eyes mischievous.

"I vote for McKay." he said.

"Oh come on!" said Rodney, looking down at the bed.

"I vote for Sheppard." he smiled, glancing up at John.

"Well, that's not going to work." snarked John. “We need a tie breaker and Teyla is getting patched up in the infirmary. I don't think she's up to it."

"Okay," said Ronon. "I change my vote." he smirked at John. "I vote for Sheppard too."

"No way, you can't change your vote!" declared John.

"Too late." smiled Ronon.

Both he and Rodney turned to the bed laughing, their noses wrinkled.

"Fine, whatever..." sighed John.

He turned to the bed trying to smile, but wrinkling his nose too.

Torren lay on the bed, giggling.

"How could you be so cute," John winced, “… but smell so…so…ughh! Pass me a clean diaper, McKay."


	23. W=Weird

John sat across from Rodney in the mess hall. They were enjoying their lunch when Rodney looked up at him.

"So what are you going to do when we get back to Earth?"

John chewing on his food, shrugged.

"Well, we have a day's leave to do whatever we want." Rodney continued, “I'm thinking of attending a symposium that…"

“Ferris wheel." interrupted John.

“What?”

"I think I'll go for a ride on a Ferris wheel."

"Why would you do that?" frowned Rodney.

"I like Ferris wheels." grinned John, then continued to eat his lunch.

Rodney shook his head.

"You're weird, Sheppard."

****


	24. X=X-Rated

John sat on the beach, soaking in the sun.

With no major catastrophes happening, the team had been given a few hours of freedom, so they puddle-jumped it over to the mainland to go swimming.

After getting his fill of the water for a while John watched from the shore laughing, as Rodney tried to swim away from Ronon who was playing shark and trying to pull him under the water.

John turned to Teyla who was floating nearby; he squinted shading his eyes with his hand trying to get a better look at her.

She seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, her golden brown skin rich and dark in comparison to the white two-piece swimsuit she was wearing; her hair was floating around her head like a halo.

John sighed and let his imagination carry him.

When Teyla stood up in the water and prepared to get out, John noticed the curve of her body and the way the water seemed to cling to her like diamonds and he wondered if…

John flinched slightly when he felt a movement in his swim trunks…he looked down at his lap then quickly up at Teyla who was approaching.

Eyes widening, he grabbed Rodney's towel and threw it over his lap, then looked up at Teyla.

"H-hey...hi...uh...ha-having fun?" he stammered, his face suddenly feeling very warm.

Teyla who was drying her hair glanced at the towel on John's lap then up at him.

"Yes John, I am.” she smiled, a twinkle in her eyes.


	25. Y=Yappy

"Dr. Beckett, how long will he be this way?" asked Teyla.

Carson turned to the infirmary bed where John had been yapping up a storm for the past three hours.

The team had come back from a mission with a babbling Colonel who had the misfortune to come across a plant that had scratched the back of his hand and had caused as a side effect the verbal waterfall.

"Someone just kill me now...cause I really want to stop talking and I can't seem to see where the world ends man..." John scowled, trying to cover his mouth with his hands but still talking quite loudly.

"Crap! I really hate clowns, did you know that, McKay? I really do they're scary, man...I just hate them… I wonder about clouds though did you ever wonder about clouds...cause I just wonder…"

"We're still studying the plant." said Carson. "I could sedate him, but I would rather wait, seeing I don't know what effect it would have on him right now."

He patted John on the leg. "There, there Colonel. No worries, I'm sure this will all be cleared up shortly."

"Really Carson, cause it feels like it will go on forever and ever and hey Ronon, you know you're really tall…didja know that, Chewie? Chewie…Chew...haha!"

Ronon huffed in his chair, not sure whether he should worry for his friend or find it extremely hilarious what he was going through.

"Yeah Sheppard, I know..."

"You're not that tall Teyla, but giants are, I'm sure you could beat them up though...you're pretty badass…but not like Rodney who's badass only in his brain!"

John snorted, then groaned.

"Man...guys just go away…please, leave me alone...I can't see the stars…"

"No, John." said Teyla sitting down by the bedside. "We will stay with you. There is nothing you can say that we will be bothered by."

"Or laugh at..." chimed in Rodney, getting a stiff look from Teyla. He coughed and patted John's arm.

"No worries, Sheppard. Yap on…we're here for you."

oooooo

It was late evening when John's babbling became quieter as fatigue started to claim him.

"D-don't take all the jello, McKay. I hate when you do that…planets...zooming…"

"Shhh..." said Teyla wiping John's forehead.

"Go to sleep, John."

"I miss my Dad..." he murmured, sleep almost claiming him.

The team looked at each other, then at their leader.

“… wish he coulda been proud of me.”

“ _We_ are proud of you, John," whispered Teyla, echoing the sentiments of the others. Rodney and Ronon nodded silently in agreement.

John's eyes slowly closed. “…love you guys… so much…but clowns… really hate clowns..."

"We know, Sheppard…we know." said Rodney.

****


	26. Z=Zonked

John stood by the gate checking his gear when his team approached.

The team was about to head off on their next mission.

"So, guys. I was pretty zonked the other day...huh?" he said, a slight wariness in his eyes.

"Musta said some crazy things...having a little trouble remembering though…"

"Ha!" smiled Rodney. "Did you ever! You..."

John held his breath as he stared at Rodney, eyes wide.

"Shut up, McKay." grunted Ronon. "You didn't say anything, Sheppard…just went on and on about guns and football and stuff."

John glanced at Ronon, then Teyla who smiled at him…then back at Rodney.

"Oh for the...yeah...guns and football…and stuff." Rodney muttered.

After a beat, John shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, McKay."

The gate sprang to life just then as the dialing sequence began. Moments later the light from the wormhole washed over the elite team.

"Come on guys." smiled John as they headed through the gate.

"Let's go have some fun!"

**The End.**


End file.
